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Today, most people attempting to build muscle know that good nutrition is vital. Regrettably, their diets are completely wrong! Weight lifters typically concentrate on their calories and macronutrients, consuming any foods they can to reach accidental totals. These numbers make a difference certainly, however the exact foods you’re consuming are unquestionably much more significant. The “amount of calories in vs the amount of calories out” tactic is complete fluff, so is the concept that all kinds of carbohydrates, proteins and fat can create the same result.

Would you like to begin experiencing a bit of progress?

Would you like to get as much muscle growth as you can, improve your overall health, and prevent gaining any unwanted fat?

Good, but you have to consume certain foods.

You’re about to discover the 7 best foods for building muscle. These aren’t just any old food, they help you build lean muscle and have produced great results for me and a lot of other people.

So, what are they?

1. Salmon

Although it’s not cheap, you need to have salmon at the bare minimum one or two times a week. The protein is really good, but the real secret is in the fat. Salmon is packed with Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which can be proven to help you lose fat and build muscle. Ensure you’re buying wild-caught salmon, because it’s far high in Omega-3s than farm-raised salmon. You should be able to find wild-caught salmon at a reasonable cost, if not have a look in the freezer area or alternatively you should be able to find canned salmon.

2. Eggs

If you’re on a really low budget you ought to be feeding on eggs. Each egg contains approximately 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat and its nutrients are darn close to perfect for taking in the calories and building muscle mass.

The yolk is the most important part of the egg, where the majority of fat, protein and essential vitamins are stored. Research has shown time and time again that eating dietary cholesterol is definitely not what raises your Low Density Lipoprotein (bad blood cholesterol). All in all, there is absolutely no reason to punish yourself with plate after plate of the foul whites.

3. Beef

This has got to be my favourite of the muscle building foods on this list, as it tastes the best because it’s higher in saturated fats than all the others. Beef is going to pack a lot of protein, iron and zinc, that will assist you to build muscle and get stronger. Plus it also contains a great deal of creatine, the exact same product that you can buy in the supplement stores.

Now, don’t worry that I said the word FAT. Fat is very important for healthy hormone levels. If you eat a lot of saturated animal fat it will boost your testosterone in a natural way. It’s the polyunsaturated fats and trans fats that you have to stay away from contained in pre-packed junk food.

4. Potatoes

No-carb diets are perfect for fat loss, but if you intend to get significantly bigger muscles, you’ll almost certainly have to consume some kind of starchy foods. Your best option is to eat potatoes and sweet potatoes. I tend to follow a “paleo” diet, and believe there’s certainly something to be said for steering clear of grains. Rice and oatmeal might be a good option, however they have a tendency to result in some bloating and discomfort. If you’re in any way sensitive to gluten, and if you often gain fat easily, consider choosing potatoes as your starting place for carbohydrates.

5. Broccoli

Okay, I know that broccoli doesn’t contain any protein in it, but it’s undoubtedly one of the very best muscle building foods because it’s anti-estrogen. It contains “indoles”, which naturally fights against estrogen that makes you store body fat in all of the worst places. It’s also one of my favourite vegetables, too.

6. Nuts

I believe nuts are great if you want to gain weight. Ever eaten an entire can of nuts during an afternoon? Of course, it’s really easy! Nuts might not be as good as meat and eggs, but they’re a cheap alternative option to load up with plenty of good quality calories. They are also perfect if you have a busy job or schedule as you can easily carry them around with you.

Almonds are an amazing food to help you build muscle and they truly are the king of the nuts. They also have a high amount of the vitamin E which is an amazing antioxidant that will prevent damage from those free-radicals that will cause havoc on your body.

7. Fat-Free Yogurt

Fat-free yogurt is also one of the best muscle building foods. With an excellent mix of protein and carbohydrates, it’s great while you’re recovering after an intense workout. Opt for the fat-free yogurt with fruit in the bottom of the tub and forget the artificially sweetened “no sugar” rubbish.

If you’re not a big fan of yogurt you could try fat-free cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is one of those foods that I’m not keen on even if it contains a lot of protein. The protein it has is really a combination of whey and casein and one cup full could have as much as 30 grams of protein in it.

Dedicated to your success,

–Nigel

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Share some of your stories with us about your results using muscle building foods—let’s get 25 COMMENTS, and we’ll be back soon with another awesome post.

1. Cross Jump

Promote growth and power development with this dynamic move. Drop into a lunge and just as the knee of your back leg kisses the floor, jump up, switching legs in mid-air. Then drop into another lunge on landing, and repeat. This fires your fast-twitch muscles.

2. Romanian Deadlift

Prepare to improve strength and increase muscle mass in your legs, back and abdominals. Lean forwards from the hips until you start to feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then grab the barbell. Squeeze your glutes and push your hips forwards to reverse the movement. Keep your legs straight and brush the bar against them as you extend. This takes the focus off the quads, hitting the glutes and hamstrings harder.

3. Single-Leg Deadlift

The one-sided version of the classic Romanian deadlift is an easy way to address your body’s strength imbalances, especially in your hamstrings. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift one foot of the floor. Bending at the hips, lower your torso, lifting the raised leg behind you. Return to the starting position.

4. Cable Pull Through

This exercise challenges your glutes in a different way to regular leg moves, stimulating growth in hard-to-hit fibres. Face away from the cable machine set on the lowest position and bend down to hold the handle between your legs. Keeping good form to protect your back, stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and push your hips forwards. Pause, then repeat.

5. Lateral Lunge

The muscles in your inner thigh can be difficult to target, but doing so will vastly improve your speed and agility. The lateral lunge is a quick way to increase their power. Stand with your feet close together and take a big step to one side, bending your other knee to lower your body, keeping that knee in line with your foot. Rise back up and repeat on the other side.

6. Dumbbell Squat

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then drive back up to standing. Repeat.

7. Dumbbell Lateral Squat

Target your abductors and glutes with this move. Stand with a weight in each hand and take a big side step to your right, lower your body. Rise back up and repeat, alternating sides.

8. Standing Calf Raise

This move targets the calves without overloading your knees. Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand and rise up to stand on your tip-toes. Hold for a moment, then slowly lower back down.

9. The Squat

The squat recruits over 70% of your muscle mass, placing heavy demands on your glutes, quads, and abs, making it a hugely effective calorie burner. With a bar across your shoulders, bend at the knees. Drive back up to standing.

10. Hack Squat

This variation is great for focusing on the quads. Stand in front of a bar with your feet roughly shoulder width apart. Squat down and , using an overhead grip, pick it up. Perform a squat as usual, keeping your chest presented.

11. Front Squat

It’s easier to maintain good posture using this version of the squat, plus it makes big demands on your core in order for you to retain balance. Perform a regular squat, but with the bar across the front of your shoulders.

12. Zercher Squat

This really hits your front core muscles and is far more forgiving on your lower back, which is easy to injure when squatting. Hold a bar in the crook of your elbows. With your feet shoulder width apart, squat and rise back up.

13. Bulgarian Split Squat

Place your left foot behind you and rest it on a bench or box. Drop into a low lunge on your right foot, reverse, then swap sides. This is great for building stability and removes the stress from injury-susceptible hamstrings.

14. Seated Leg Extension

This move is great for isolating the quads. Sit on a leg extension machine with shins under the pads. With your back against the seat, extend your knees to straighten your legs and raise the bar. Pause then slowly return to the start.

15. Lying Leg Curl

The leg curl targets your hamstrings, an essential muscle to keep in shape if you want to starve off injury on the pitch. With the ankle pads resting on your lower caves, bend your legs and pull your heels to your glutes. Release to the starting position.

16. Seated Calf Raise

Calves are not notoriously hard to develop, but this machine allows you to isolate them better than other exercises. Sit in a calf raise machine. Press up with your knees and release the support bar. Now lower, then raise your heels as high as you can.

17. Seated Leg Press

This is a viable alternative to the squat and doesn’t require you to balance during heavy lifts. Sit in a leg press machine, with you back flat against the back pad and your feet on the platform. Then press the weight up. Go heavy and slow.

18. Stability Ball Leg Curl

The constant tension in your hamstrings created by this move also uses your glutes, resulting in an all-round strength move. Lie with your head, shoulders and upper body on the floor with your feet together on a stability ball. Your body should form a straight line from should to heels. Keeping your back straight, raise your hips and uses your legs and feet to pull the ball towards you. Return to the start and repeat.

19. Walking Dumbbell Lunge

When performed at speed, the required acceleration coupled with the dumbbell’s resistance recruits the bulk of your legs’ muscle fibres, speeding up development. Hold two dumbbells by your side and take a giant stride forwards, dropping into a lunge. Push up and bring your other leg through into another step, and repeat. This one is good for your abs, too.

20. Jump Squat

This explosion move has a massive impact on strength, not least because it triggers a big testosterone boost to help build muscle. Squat with your feet shoulder width apart then jump as high a you can. Fall back into a squat, then repeat.

21. Depth Jump

Set up a stack of boxes and stand on top of them. Jump off, landing with both feet, and immediately drop into a squat. Jump as high as you can. Land, turn around and step up onto the boxes and repeat.

22. Deadlift And Box Jump

Deadlift a bar from the floor to hip level, drop the weight, then perform explosive box jumps until failure. This combination of resistance and explosive repetition promotes fast muscle growth.

23. Lunge And Glute Bridge

This combination gives your glutes and quads a savaging. Step into a lunge, then repeat on the other side. Now lie on your back and raise your hips. Lift one leg and hold the position, then repeat on the other leg.

24. Step-Up And Climber

Use this after a muscle building workout for a growth hormone flood. With dumbbells, step onto a bench and drive each knee up. Then drop into a press up position and quickly bring alternate knees to your chest for 30 seconds.

25. Crossover Dumbbell Step Up

The explosive movements involved in this exercise create a large metabolic response, shredding fat as you build muscle. Place your left foot on a bench and drive up until your left leg is straight but your right foot is off the bench. Small steps mean big results.

Now what?

You’re now armed with 25 really powerful leg exercises that will help you build muscle, burn fat, increase your speed and agility and have you bouncing around like a teenager.

If you incorporate some of these into your workout routine you truly are going to get great results FAST.

Dedicated to your success,

–Nigel

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Tell us if you do any of these exercises as part of your workout routine and more importantly and about the results you’ve achieved—let’s get 10 COMMENTS, and we’ll be back soon with another awesome post.

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Each week Craig Ballantyne, Certified Turbulence Trainer, scours hundreds of magazines, websites, videos, scientific research papers, hard copy books, and even university textbooks to uncover new ways of training to add to his TT workouts.

And recently he uncovered one NEW workout-boosting trick that is a GAME CHANGER for fat loss. Not only does it make your future fat burning workouts and bodyweight exercises even more effective, it does so in just minutes per workout.

From Craig:

Can 4 minutes of bodyweight exercises (like burpees) work just as well as traditional 30-minute cardio workouts?

Researchers from Queen’s University say it can…

In their study, published in “Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism”, the scientists had 22 college-aged women do 4 workouts per week for 4 weeks, splitting them into one of three groups:

-Group A did 30 minutes of treadmill running at 85% max heart rate.

-Group B did 8 rounds of 20 seconds of a single exercise (burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or squat thrusts) with 10 seconds of rest between rounds, for a total of 4 minutes.

-Group C did nothing (they were the non-training control group).

Here were their shocking results…

Despite training just 1/7th of the time, Group B increased their aerobic fitness levels by the SAME amount (about 7-8%) as Group A.

That’s right… even the short, intense, bodyweight workouts were equally as effective as 30 minutes of boring cardio.

Now here’s where the study gets interesting…

First, Group B was the only group to INCREASE their muscular endurance in common exercises like chest presses, leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups.

Second, these unconventional bodyweight workouts resulted in members of Group B reporting GREATER overall workout enjoyment.

And that was just from one 4-minute blast of bodyweight exercises.

I know you’ll get TRIPLE the results, or more, when you use the Turbulence Training versions of the system … not to mention these workouts can be done from ANYWHERE you want.

Get the complete TT 20-10 Bodyweight Revolution Program with this Special Holiday Deal

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I know you have been told this hundreds of times but if you want to lose weight on hips you must lose weight all over. You cannot just spot reduce. There are quite a few lower body exercises that you can do to tone and strengthen your butt, hips, and thighs, you just can’t do one or the other. Losing weight is a package deal.

The bigger the package the longer your journey will take so the sooner you get started the better. Before you even start to worry about one specific area the best thing you can do is learn to strengthen your core.

Your core is just that, the middle of your body, abs, ribcage, and lower back. The muscles in these areas are what hold you erect and help keep you balanced. When they get weak, you will find you lose your balance more often than not and may even start falling more frequently. Or losing the strength in your core can lead to instability in your lower back and cause you to have pain or worse yet a herniated disc. If you have ever had a herniated disc you know that it is no fun whatsoever. They take forever to heal and will flare up at a moment’s notice. Usually when you least expect it.

I do not know how it happens but some people can have a herniated disc or even more than one and not have any pain. I suppose it has to do with where the herniation is and if it is pressing on a nerve.

When you lose weight on hips, thighs, and buttocks you will help the herniation heal and decrease the level of pain you feel. In fact, if you were to lose just 10% of your total body fat you could increase your mobility and decrease your pain by about 30%. Every ten percent body fat lost takes approximately 100 pounds of pressure off your lower back and legs. Save those knees and that lower back. Lose the weight.

Do yourself a favor too, while losing the weight, find a good chiropractor. They can make things feel a lot better while you are in transition from being fat to becoming unfat. If the chiropractor you find is also a slash physical therapist, you can even have them show you exercises to begin your work outs with and progress into more intense strengthening exercises.

Do you have kids? Can you get outside to play with them? If you can, then do. It will be good for them and good for you. If you play with your kids it will not seem like a work out but you will be surprised how children’s games can be an excellent source of exercise for all concerned.

Run, jump, play tag, hide and seek, any of those games we all used to play with our brothers and sisters and all the neighbor kids out in the front yard when we were young. Who says you have to stop playing just because you get older? Find that inner child again and let them help you lose weight on hips.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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There are so many diets out there, it isn’t even funny, and new ones are being thrust upon an unsuspecting and weight-conscious public all the time. No matter what their claims are, no matter how they package it, the ones that work all have the same thing in common. In fact, it’s the only way to lose weight. What is it? You have to burn more calories than you take in. That’s why so many weight loss programs revolve around a calorie reduction diet.

Our weight goes up when we take in more energy (in the form of calories found in our food) than we use up. Early in our history, this body mechanism served to keep us alive. Our ancestors couldn’t always be sure when they would eat next, so their bodies stored extra calories as fat. This was fine back then, but it leads to obesity in modern cultures where food is plentiful.

If you need to lose weight, then there are only two things you can do. You have to burn more energy in the form of exercise, or you have to eat a reduced calorie diet. The first step is to determine exactly how many calories you need per day. There are plenty of online calorie calculators that can help you determine what your caloric intake should be. If you are seeing a doctor to help lose weight then follow any and all of their recommendations.

Everybody is different, so you need to do what’s best for you. That being said, you should try to avoid a diet that restricts you to fewer than 1200 calories per day. That is the amount the World Health Organization says adults should consume. Besides if you go too low on a calorie reduction diet, then your body will get the message that you are starving, and store a higher percentage of your calories as fat. That means you could actually gain weight by eating less!

A good rule of thumb is to lose no more than one to two pounds per week. This may seem slow, and flies in the face of fad diets that promise big weight loss in a few days, but it is a much better way to lose weight. Losing weight slowly and steadily will prevent your body from going into starvation mode, and it will also prevent you from feeling deprived.

There is another aspect of a calorie reduction diet that you have to be aware of: eating boosts metabolism. That’s right! You can boost how many calories you burn by eating enough. Your brain gets the signal that there is new energy to burn, and it starts up the fat burning furnace to help you use up the energy you are taking in. It may help to think of it as the reverse of starvation mode.

Other than that, a calorie reduction diet comes down to common sense. Make healthy food choices–fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains–and keep your portions under control. Doing those things will give you your best chance at weight loss success.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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“If you haven’t joined our community by LIKING ultimate3dayworkout on Facebook, you’re missing out on half the fun! Our Facebook page is the perfect place to ask fitness questions and get answers directly from me.”

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“The Fat Smash Diet Plan” is a fairly popular diet book that was written by Ian Smith. The book took off in popularity at the same time Celebrity Fit Club was soaring in the television ratings. The Fat Smash Diet claims to be a 90 day program that doesn’t require you to count calories, and further promises that you won’t feel hungry while on the plan. Now that’s the kind of plan that most dieters are looking for!

That all sounds great, but what is the diet all about, and does it really work? Those are the questions that should be asked before you decide to start any diet program. Fortunately, the Fat Smash Diet Plan has all of the elements of a sound program. It doesn’t make a lot of outrageous claims that can’t be backed up. It’s also missing some of the elements that are so prevalent in fad diets, such as forbidding whole groups of food.

The basis of Smith’s approach is sensible eating and moderate exercise. On top of that, he strongly suggests people on the Fat Smash Diet Plan to get as much support from their friends and family as they can. This can help a lot if you normally struggle with weight loss. Plus, if you can get the support of the people who are close to you, they can encourage you and help you stick to your plan. This makes it that much easier to get rid of those extra pounds.

It’s all too common for a weight loss regimen to focus on just the food, or just the exercise, but you need to work on both if you want to lose weight. The first step of the Fat Smash Diet Plan is to detoxify your system. There isn’t any solid medical proof that this works, but it may help in some cases. If nothing else, it sends the signal to your subconscious that you are making a change for the better. This stage of the plan takes nine days. Some people experience mild side effects, so you may want to do it at a time when you aren’t too busy.

The full Fat Smash Diet Plan is comprised of four different stages. We mentioned the detox stage, here are the others:

Stage 2 starts adding new foods that were introduced during the detoxification process. These include shellfish, eggs, lean meat, and other foods high in protein.

Stage 3 adds carbohydrates in the form of wheat, pasta, bread and even some desserts (thank goodness).

Stage 4, the final stage lets you eat pizza and some other comfort foods.

Regardless of the stage, Fat Smash Diet Plan recommends that you eat smaller meals, more often, as opposed to eating three large meals during the day. This helps to keep your metabolism at a higher level, which leads to more calories burned, and that means more weight lost. Stick to the Fat Smash diet and you can be sure that you will like the results.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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“If you haven’t joined our community by LIKING ultimate3dayworkout on Facebook, you’re missing out on half the fun! Our Facebook page is the perfect place to ask fitness questions and get answers directly from me.”

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If you are tired of all the yo-yo dieting and want to lose weight fast, then you need a good weight loss dietary supplement. The one I have chosen to use is the Acai Berry. This supplement is so powerful that you can lose up to 25 pounds in 4 weeks. You do not have to worry about malnutrition when using this supplement because it comes from nature and has plenty of vitamins and minerals to keep your body happy while you lose the weight.

The Acai berry comes from the Acai palm tree and is handpicked by Amazonians in the Brazilian rain forest. The Acai berry has been a staple of the Amazonian diet for hundreds of years and has only recently gained positive attention as a powerful weight loss dietary supplement. You probably have seen reports on TV about the Acai berry and the incredible health improving qualities it contains like antioxidants which help prevent certain types of cancer.

Acai berries have an awesome combination of antioxidants, fiber, and are a wonderful source of the “good” monounsaturated fats like Omega-3. Along with being a powerful weight loss supplement, Acai berries decrease the aging process by aiding in cell recovery and keeping the skin looking young and vibrant. No one will be able to guess your age after a few months of using Acai.

Weight loss happens because the Acai berry has properties that increase your metabolism, which leads to faster fat loss and combats fatigue. When you order the Acai berry supplement you have the power to realize your weight loss goals quickly and effortlessly. Include an exercise routine and maybe some strength training along the way and you will no doubt have the body you have always wanted.

For Acai to be effective the dosage must be at least 1,000 mg/day. Some people take double that and have had great success at losing the weight they need to lose. With the other health benefits they feel better than they have in years, their skin looks younger and they have more energy than they did when they were in their twenties.

When ordering your Acai berry supplement beware of scams and make sure you get what you pay for. I ordered mine from a reputable source that offered a 60 day free trial for only the price of shipping. I have yet to receive it and really can’t wait.

If you can find a free trial offer then go for it. Capsules of freeze dried berries, including the skin and pulp, are the best. Extracts may be less effective and blended with fillers and other things to keep costs down but just keep in mind if you see the word extract you may not be getting the most effective weight loss dietary supplement.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for reading.

–Nigel

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“If you haven’t joined our community by LIKING ultimate3dayworkout on Facebook, you’re missing out on half the fun! Our Facebook page is the perfect place to ask fitness questions and get answers directly from me.”

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